Morocco ‘Fez cell’ sent 10 fighters to Syria

A terror cell based in the Moroccan city of Fez that was busted earlier this week by authorities had managed to send at least 10 fighters to Syria, sources told Al Arabiya News Channel.

Morocco's interior ministry said Wednesday that police had arrested six people after busting a "terrorist" cell recruiting and sending volunteers to fight alongside Islamists in Syria and Iraq.

Sources told Al Arabiya News Channel's correspondent that the 'Fez cell' had managed to send 10 "jihadists" to Syria. These were sent out to different camps for intensive military training on the use of various weapons, guerilla warfare, kidnapping, as well as rigging vehicles with explosives for later terrorist operations.

The sources said Moroccan jihadists in Syria were being trained to execute suicide attacks in their home country.

The cell was luring Moroccans from the cities of Fez and Taza in central Morocco.

In terms of funding, the cell depended on direct assistance from six of its executive members who dealt in smuggling for additional funds in order to send fighters to Syria.

The cell also collected money from the jihadist Salafist movement in Fez and from sympathizers from the northwest of the country.

In an unprecedented statement, Ahmad Toufi, the minister of Islamic Affairs, revealed that there was "perfect coordination between the religious and security authorities" on the matter of the Moroccan fighters in Syria.

The youngest member of the cell was allegedly a high-school student aged 17.

Other members included a spare parts vendor for cars aged 30, a medical sales representative aged 34, a goldsmith aged 38, an unemployed man aged 39, and an Imam 34 who is a former detainee who has been previously charged in terrorism cases.